Udechukwu brace lifts Katsina United over Rivers United

Katsina
United have beaten Rivers United 2-0 in a rescheduled match day 13
Nigeria Professional Football League match played this evening at the
Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.

The
league new comers secured their victory courtesy of a goal in each
half by forward Chinedu Udechukwu.

The
match was played behind closed doors following the League Management
Company’s sanction on the hosts for disturbances in the 2-1 win
over Enyimba earlier this month.

It
got off to a lively start as Chinedu Udechukwu was denied by the wood
work after his long range effort in the first minute beat the Rivers
United goalkeeper, Abiodun Akande.

Udechukwu
was, however, luckier eight minutes later when he got to the end of
Isah Abdulrahman’s cross to head into an empty net and put his team
ahead.

The
hosts, thereafter, continued to dominate proceedings and could have,
at least, doubled the lead but poor marksmanship from their front men
was their bane. At the other end, in-form striker, Godbless Asamoah
came close for the visitors but was ruled offside, and Bolaji Sakin’s
penalty shout two minutes before the break was turned down by the
referee.

After
the restart, Rivers United came close again, with Sakin failing to
tap into an open goal from about two metres.

With
almost an hour of football played, Tasiu Lawal came on for Nasiru
Sani, and the visitors, in a bid to add width to their attack,
responded by replacing the misfiring Asamoah with Daniel Israel. But
it was the former’s tactical change that yielded fruits as
Udechukwu was set up for his brace minutes later, to put the match
beyond Rivers United.

The
result moves Katsina United to 10th on the table with 25 points from
19 games, while Rivers United, having played two matches less remain
16th with 21 points.